The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-10-02
The AsheYiIIe Cafe'-Messrs.
Turner and Bronson.

A representative of the CITIZEN drop
ptd in Yesterday at that attractive and
tasteful establishment Turner & Brown
sons Cafe and had Il talk with Mr.
Turner:
"What alb ,ut these high prices which
rumor says yen clIarge?' asked the re-
porte
well, l am glad you suggested the
subject" said that well bnown catele,. 81
have beeu wanting to give newspaper
man some points on that subject for
some time. Sit down and I'll give you
some details which l think the public
should know. There has been much
said ab0it our high prices, but there is
one thing that 1 am certain of,and that is
that the pric s re charge are less than
any similar establi hnen; that Il ever
saw andI honestly believe lower than
cas-. zso-f..'i,atl -e1'ywhere ip = first c, ass
| restaurant" 'o1B
"'Nhat is you opinion Cren," ventur-
ed tn reporter, lin re ard to the differ
ence between your ch rges and those OF
first class establishments of the sort?"
cit is not matter of opinion" said he
"hut is Il matter OF fact how the differ
ence 8 in favor ut our house and have
tine irn,.t, for s'eak by ;he card"
BIT il Mt 80 cents i@.h fAr s'rak ?''
wLs asked.
= Let 1t ,ian -, into first class res
tauraut," sIid he, sin any city ofany size
or pretensions and ask for medium
Porter House stea and of course it IS so
cents or at least 40 cent?. And then con-
slider what the relative cost is. Here we
pay for choice steak sometimes as high
as % cents per pound. There are few
places where it costs more. Then a
family porter house steak would cost you
elsewhere in a similar establishment rs
cents or 81 90. We have never charged
higher than 30 cents. Chops, veal cut. cts
or her IN ats broiled are seWhere in
ties 35 cents, while We never ch rye
but 25 cents. Broiled spring chick n is
put down at Is cents and Sl.00. Our
price is 40 cents. Turkey at ordinary
where we charge for the former % cents
and the latter 20 cents. Quails on toast
are so cents and our price just ha.f that,
with pheasants $1.50 elsewhere and our
house only asks rs cents. Oysters broil-
furnish them at so cents, and SO it is all
the way through the bill of fare. Vege-
tables and every thing at two-thirds or
one-half of what is elsewhere paid. Now
coffee for instance we only charge 5 cents
a cup with meal"
What coffee do you buy?" the re-
porter got chance to ask.
None but the best. Mocha and Java
are what use. Every merchant in the
city from wnom we have ever bought
any thing will testify that we buy only
tie b st of every thing"
Are there not some things you fur
nish free while you are doing all this
charging" was asked.
Yes, Celery and bread and butter,
and you will find few places where Gel
cry is mt ext at restaurant. No
relishes are ever CHARGED for"
"Do you keep regular b)arders ?"
Gueried the news ga herer.
81 do not for the reason that we can
not furnish meals at Sl2 or SIS per month.
Every patron at each meal is in the
nature of transient customer. We do
not compete with boarding houses, but
endeavor to supply a need supplementary
to them. At a boarding house certain
hours and regnla1ities are observed and
required. With Us it is entirely different.
A patron expects to be served and is
served at any hour between 6 in the
morning aad II o'clock at night We
have had regular table boarders at $25
per month, but can state positively at
we lost money at those figures, in many
Instances the raw material costing twice
what we got for it properly served"
What are you now paying for meats ?"
questioned the scribe.
:" l can safely say that we have paid
the highest prices ever paid here for
beef, and the market l1en viii. bear us
out in tn statement"
"Have the fluctuations of the mar
ket ever increased your prices?"
mot at all. OuI prices have remain
ed uniform no matter how high country
produce sells"
What is said by transient customers
in regard to prices you charged?"
Men who are accustomed to city life
have often expressed themselves su: pris-
ed at the low rates we CHARGE" was the
reply:
Where do your suppl es chiefly come
from?"
From the merchants of the city we
buy all our groceries. From those who
handle produce we ma purchases in
that line. Our fish we get on ice from
Charleston and ur oysters from Norfolk" "
DO you ever lose any fish or oysters?"
"Yes, often last winter, during warm
days, when there was no ice to be had
oysters spoiled, as they sometimes have
done for lack of de and. In summer
too we often lose meats in the same way;
and on one occasion We lost S13 worth of
Celery last winter, as it was frozen en-
no /
rush and then again there is a lull, but
our supplies must b. on hands rush or no
rush and hence the loss. In large city
it is different where stream of patrons
pours in from morning until night. There
too the same food is sent back twice or
oftener to the table willis with US such
is never the case"
ID you mind your guests going into
your kitchen?"
"No sir, they are cordially invited to
inspect It at any and all times, and they
will never find any thing to criticise."
Cant you reduce prices and get more
custom
THAT is impracticable, since the ex.
penses of the establishment are so heavy
and our efforts are constantly 10 maintain
its claims as first class in every respect"
"Do you have only one dining room ?'
"We have four. One general dining
room, one custom dining room, one for
ladies exclusively, and one private dining
room.
"Then look for a moment at our expen.
ses. The cooking range and the charcoal
bioiler must be kept going all the while
day and night, The chief cook, his assist
ant, dish-man, pastry man and walters, al
busy toserve one man. House rent, SOC
] pe= month, electric and incandescent lights
/ SIS, servants, $Izo, charcoal, $I2, water